Abstract: The graphics load of a virtual desktop is estimated to determine the capacity of a virtual desktop system. In one embodiment, the graphics load of a physical desktop is measured by a remoting agent installed on the physical desktop. The graphics load can be used as an estimate of the load that would be created by a deployed virtual desktop. The remoting agent on the physical desktop mimics host operations that are necessary to direct graphics data to a remote site. The remoting agent also measures the graphics load incurred by the host operations to determine a capacity of a virtual desktop system prior to deployment of the virtual desktop system.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method to send a snapshot to a replication site includes generating a first snapshot of a production storage volume at a first point in time, generating a second snapshot of the production storage volume at a second point in time after the first point in time, obtaining differences between the first snapshot and the second snapshot, reading signatures from the production storage volume, sending the signatures to the replication site, writing the signatures to the replication site, reading data from changed locations in the second snapshot which is not at the replication site and sending the data from the changed locations to the replication site comprising a replica volume replicating the production storage volume. The production storage volume is part of a deduplication-based storage array.

Abstract: A CAS data storage method and apparatus comprising: receiving input data including a succession of data items with corresponding logical addresses at a source CAS data storage space for storage therein and for replication at a destination CAS data storage space, generating a hash key for each data item at the source storage space, comparing respective hash keys with hash keys stored at a hash key storage table, to determine whether respective further data items are already present at the destination storage device; transferring respective data items to the destination storage space if no match is made to a hash key stored at the hash key storage table, but not transferring respective further data items if a match is made to a hash key stored at the hash key storage table, thereby transferring to the destination storage space only unique data items.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a storage device and a processor. The storage device includes a non-volatile storage including non-volatile memory media, and a Non-Volatile Dynamic Random Access Memory (NVDRAM). The processor is configured to run a software application that supports at least a first command for storing first information in the non-volatile storage of the storage device, and a second command for storing second information in the NVDRAM of the storage device.

Abstract: A computing system includes multiple compute nodes that include respective processors and respective cache memories. The processors are configured to determine a default compute node in which a given data item is to be cached, to make a decision whether to cache the given data item in the default compute node or in an alternative compute node, based on cache-quality metrics that are evaluated for respective cache memories of the compute nodes, and to cache the given data item in the default compute node or in the alternative compute node, depending on the decision.

Abstract: A computing system includes a storage device and a host. The storage device includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, and is configured to receive data for storage in the non-volatile memory, to buffer at least some of the received data temporarily in the volatile memory, and to guarantee that any data, which is not part of a predefined amount of data that was most recently received, has been committed to the non-volatile memory. The host is configured to send the data for storage in the storage device, and, in response to a need to commit given data to the non-volatile memory, to send the given data to the storage device followed by at least the predefined amount of additional data.

Abstract: A method includes receiving data objects for storage in at least one or more first storage devices characterized by a first write endurance, and one or more second storage devices characterized by a second write endurance that is lower than the first write endurance. Respective write-activity levels are estimated for the data objects. For each data object, a choice is made whether to store the data object in the first storage devices or in the second storage devices based on an estimated write-activity level of the data object. The data object is stored in the chosen storage devices.

Abstract: A method includes receiving data objects for storage in at least one or more first storage devices characterized by a first write endurance, and one or more second storage devices characterized by a second write endurance that is lower than the first write endurance. Respective write-activity levels are estimated for the data objects. For each data object, a choice is made whether to store the data object in the first storage devices or in the second storage devices based on an estimated write-activity level of the data object. The data object is stored in the chosen storage devices.

Abstract: A method includes, in a computing system that runs clients on multiple interconnected compute nodes, running on the compute nodes respective virtual switches and respective virtual heads. Each client is provisioned to direct file access commands using one or more access protocols to a respective virtual head running on the compute node on which the client runs, via a respective virtual switch running on the compute node on which the client runs. The file access commands issued by the clients are executed by communicating among the virtual heads using an inter-node communication protocol that is independent of the access protocols used by the clients.

Abstract: A CAS data storage system with one or more source CAS data storage spaces and one or more destination CAS data storage spaces, and a communication line therebetween, receives input data at the source storage space for local storage and for replication to the destination CAS storage space. CAS metadata is used in the replication procedure between the two separate CAS storage spaces. Thus, data at the source storage space is used to form an active buffer for transfer to the destination storage space, the active buffer holding a hash result of the respective data item and a storage address. The system detects whenever there is more than one data item in said active buffer sharing a same storage address and upon such detection transfers a respective hash result of only the last of the data items.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes checking periodically, using a processor, for a value associated with data in a data block in a higher tier journal stored on a first storage array having deduplication-based functionality and copying the data in the data block from the higher tier journal to a lower tier journal in a second storage array if the data in the data block exists only in an UNDO stream in the higher tier journal. The first storage array and the second storage array are used in a continuous data protection system to replicate a volume. The method also includes replacing the data in the data block in the journal with a zero block if the data in the data block exists only in the UNDO stream.

Abstract: Virtual machine images are transferred from a source storage location to a target storage location over a network. In one embodiment, a host at the source storage location computes signature values of a plurality of disk blocks that contain a plurality of virtual machine images. Each computed signature value corresponds to one of the disk blocks. A subset of the disk blocks, all of which have different signature values, is then transferred from the source storage location to the target storage location. Only one copy of duplicate disk blocks is transferred.

Abstract: A memory management system for a thinly provisioned memory volume in which a relatively larger virtual address range of virtual address blocks is mapped to a relatively smaller physical memory comprising physical memory blocks via a mapping table containing entries only for addresses of the physical memory blocks containing data. The memory management system comprises a snapshot provision unit to take a given snapshot of the memory volume at a given time, the snapshot comprising a mapping table and memory values of the volume, the mapping table and memory values comprising entries only for addresses of the physical memory containing data. The snapshot is managed on the same thin provisioning basis as the volume itself, and the system is particularly suitable for RAM type memory disks.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for playing multimedia content at a remote graphics display client are described herein. According to one embodiment, a stream of data objects is sequentially transmitted to a client over a network. The stream is generated by a desktop application representing a snapshot of a display output of the desktop application. The data objects are to be rendered at the client for graphics remoting purposes. It is detected that a multimedia object is to be rendered by the desktop application. The multimedia object is caused to be rendered remotely at the client without having to render the multimedia object locally and without having to transmit a display result of the rendering to the client over the network. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes intercepting a write I/O to a first storage volume of a first storage array having a deduplication-based storage functionality, sending metadata and a signature to a replication data protection appliance and increasing a first reference count representing the data in the write I/O stored at the first storage array if the signature is written to the first journal.

Abstract: A device for scalable block data storage and retrieval uses content addressing. Data storage devices store data blocks, and are connected over a network to computing modules. The modules comprise control modules and data modules and carry out content addressing for both storage and retrieval. The network defines separate control paths via the control modules and data paths via the data modules.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method to generate a point-in-time (PIT) snapshot of deduplication-based volume includes generating a virtual access data structure, generating a preliminary snapshot of the volume and modifying the preliminary snapshot to point to a block according to the virtual access data structure to generate the PIT snapshot of the deduplication-based volume.

Abstract: A method and system for swapping memory of a virtual machine are described. In one embodiment, virtual machines are hosted by a server and accessed by remote clients over a network. The server assigns first storage and second storage to each virtual machine, where the first storage is designated for swap memory of a respective virtual machine and the second storage is designated for persistent data of a respective virtual machine. The server monitors events pertaining to the virtual machines. Upon detecting a predefined event pertaining to one of the virtual machines, the server causes the contents of the first storage to be wiped out.

Abstract: The graphics load of a virtual desktop is estimated to determine the capacity of a virtual desktop system. In one embodiment, the graphics load of a physical desktop is measured by a remoting agent installed on the physical desktop. The graphics load can be used as an estimate of the load that would be created by a deployed virtual desktop. The remoting agent on the physical desktop mimics host operations that are necessary to direct graphics data to a remote site. The remoting agent also measures the graphics load incurred by the host operations to determine a capacity of a virtual desktop system prior to deployment of the virtual desktop system.

Abstract: A security mechanism provided by a server protects files in data storage from untrusted clients. In one embodiment, the server generates a filename in response to a request from a client for creating a filename. The filename is associated with a file to be stored in the data storage managed by the server. The server manages a directory that contains the filename, and hides the directory contents from the client. The client is granted access to the file when the client provides the filename associated with the file.